Bulletin of Environment, Pharmacology and Life Sciences Bull. Env.Pharmacol. Life Sci., Vol 4 [7] June 2015: 65-71 ©2014 Academy for Environment and Life Sciences, India Online ISSN 2277-1808 Journal’s URL:http://www.bepls.com CODEN: BEPLAD Global Impact Factor 0.533 Universal Impact Factor 0.9804 ORIGINAL ARTICLE Evaluation of the Effects of water level decline of Urmia Lake in sustainable rural Development: Case study: Central Marhamat Abad rural district, Miandoab County Arezoo Anvari1, Mohammad Valaie2 1 –Phd. Student in Geography & Rural Planning, University of Kharazmi, Iran Email: [email protected] 2- Phd. Student in Geography & Rural Planning, University of Tabriz, Iran ABSTRACT In recent years, Urmia lake, the largest lake in Iran is faced with a dramatic reduction in the Volume of Water. This has created some concern in terms of outcomes and impacts. also, it has effected Rural communities on access to water supplies through restriction and has many economic, social, physical and environmental costs. The aim of this study is to Evaluation of the effects of water level decline of Urmia Lake in sustainable rural development in Central Marhamat Abad rural district, Miandoab County. The type of research is experimental, the method of research is descriptive – analytical, data collection tools were library research and field survey (observation, interviews and questionnaires) and for data analysis, descriptive (mean, Variance and standard deviation) and inferential (T-test, Friedman and regression) statistics were used. The spatial scope of the study is Central Marhamat Abad Rural district, Miandoab. According to the Statistical Center of Iran's population census, in 2011, the population of district is against 7040 persons and 1616 households that 125 households are selected as samples by modified formula Cochran and Simple Random Sampling. The research findings show, water level decline of Urmia Lake has the most negative influence on the physical (salinization of lands, declining diversification in crops, destruction of orchards and pastures, increasing contamination of water resources and rural environment) , economic (declining of non-agriculture employment opportunities, declining of rural income, declining of employment and job diversity, increase in house and land prices and etc) dimensions and then physical and social dimensions and least influence on the institutional dimension. Keywords: Urmia Lake, sustainable rural development, Central Marhamat Abad Received 12.02.2015 Revised 09.04.2015 Accepted 30.04. 2015 INTRODUCTION Lakes are Large water reservoirs on the earth and as one of the most valuable ecosystems has a very diverse biological functions and hold various natural, economic and social values [1]. The lake is between the provinces of East Azerbaijan and West Azerbaijan. The lake is divided into north and south parts separated by a causeway. The lake is the largest permanent water basin in Western Asia [2]. Furthermore, this place is one of the largest permanent hyper saline lakes in the world [3]. As noted above, the lake water is extremely salty and due to the high concentration of minerals, the water is not good for agriculture, fish life and a lot of other aquatic, but it is not a dead lake, also it is the most active biological reserves [4] so that, it is one of the biggest natural Artemia habitats in the world [5]. This ecosystem is the home for different species. Due to various socio-economical and ecological criteria, Urmia Lake has important role in the Northwestern part of the country [6] and is designated as an international park and protected biosphere reserve [7]. In ecologic zone of lake there are 547 herbaceous species, 27 mammal species, 21 fish species, 212 bird species and 41 reptile species. [8]. The importance of this species is that, it is one of the Tourism ability of district is related to wildlife [9]. The Urmia Lake has about 102 islands both large and small. Five of these islands can be noted here such as the Islands of Islami, Kaboodan, Ashk Daqi, Espir, and Arezoo [10]. The average salinity of the lake ranges between 220-300 mg/l depending on temporal and spatial conditions, in recent years it has reached to more than 380 mg/l [3]. Some reports show that the salinity of Urmia Lake has reached to more than 300 gl since 2001 [11]. Urmia Lake (Chichest), one of the rarest and most valuable biological reserves in Iran and the world is faced with a crisis condition over the past decade [12]. Relevantly, Statistical data from BEPLS Vol 4 [7] June 2015 65 | P a g e ©2015 AELS, INDIA Anvari and Valaie 1955 to 2007 show an overall decreasing trend in area from 5800 km2 to 4017 km2 and this leads to appearance of 1800 km2 salt marsh on adjacent lands [13]. The lake is threatened and has been demolished by the two groups inside and outside the system. The inside system agents which are the part of the essence of the lake system includes climate features, water resources, wildlife, vegetation, etc. The changes occurred in the characteristics of these agents has caused changes in the lake system [14]. So that 65 percent of the decline was from changes in inflow caused by climate change and decreased precipitation over the lake itself (10%) [15].In addition, the outside agents of the system is imposed from outside the system, these agents are man-made and are going to be dried by human exploitation such as overuse of surface water resources, and dam constructions and etc [14]. So that, construction of dams as one of the human intervention in this area allocated 25% of the degradation of the lake [15]. In this regard one quarter of the lake has changed to saline area in the last 10 years [6]. Figure 1: Water level decline of Urmia lake, based on satellite images Resource: Climatechange.ir Studies show that the Urmia Lake drying could underlie the broad ecological effects in the North West and even affect neighbor countries seriously. For example salt and dust particles may even damage the snow cover parts of the neighbor countries and alter the flow of water from the mountains and threaten water and food security [16]. It will force many people to abandon their villages and towns around the lake and a vast majority of the flora and fauna will be lost permanently [17]. Also, Water level decline of Urmia lake, unveiling of salt domes and the wind blows containing minerals and salt toward agricultural lands and fruit trees, agricultural land around the lake areas are highly vulnerable to destruction and disruption. results of consecutive drought, Water Shortage and improper irrigation practices, this matter is one of the majoring problems in the agricultural sector of the country and all over the world, and also in the area around Urmia Lake. In addition to this, in parallel reducing the level of the lake and reduce the evaporation rate, the environment temperature increases. This could act as a feedback cycle. That is what the lake area is reduced, the amount of heat discharged into the environment is increasing proportionally [18] and impact on crop pattern in the surrounding villages will be the result. More than 60 percent of the population around the Urmia lake lives in villages that includes 520 villages [19]. Hence paying attention to this condition and the impacts of this crisis must be considered among this huge rural population. This condition makes the salt transport agricultural area and reduces productivity and even reduce rural incomes, the production of the region and the province, employment in the agricultural sector, boom down side industries which is dependent on agriculture, and at last influenced the dimensions of sustainable development in the region [20] Central Marhamat Abad rural district is located in the southern part of the Urmia lake and in the highly sensitive ecological region [21] And during the recent years it has been strongly influenced by the drying up of Urmia lake. So that this environmental crisis has different impacts on rural sustainable development especially in the economic, social, and physical environment dimensions. Hence the present study aimed to investigate the drying of Urmia lake and its impact on sustainable development in the surrounding villages and is to answer the following question: Which dimension of sustainable rural development in the cast study is more effected by the declining the level of Urmia lake? METHODOLOGY This study is Experimental. The method used to describe the characteristics of the study area is descriptive and analytical. Library research and field survey (observation, interviews and questionnaires) were used in order to collect the information in the study area. The spatial scope of the study is Central Marhamat Abad Rural district, Miandoab. BEPLS Vol 4 [7] June 2015 66 | P a g e ©2015 AELS, INDIA Anvari and Valaie This distinct has 6 villages, that all of them are located in the southern coast of Urmia lake and in a quite plain area. due to the low number of villages Sampling was not performed and all of the rural areas were considered as a part of the target population. According to the Statistical Center of Iran's population census, in 1390, the population of district is against 7040 persons and 1616 households (The County Planning of Vest Azarbayjan, 1390:15) that 125 households are selected as samples by modified formula Cochran and Simple Random Sampling. Selecting households in each village was conducted randomly, till the equal opportunity to select the households be observed Accordingly, in order to achieve the desired results, a questionnaire was formulated in 5 dimensions and 45 items to evaluate the effects of Urmia Lake on sustainable rural development of the case study rural district.